


Being Human

by Dabberdees



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Found Family, Some Humor, Supernatural Creatures, alternative universe, being human AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:01:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27389134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dabberdees/pseuds/Dabberdees
Summary: The Doctor thought she knew everything there is to know about Earth, but it turns out the planet she's adopted as home has a few secrets hidden within her.There's teenaged werewolves, caring ghosts, an immortal with a wicked smirk, and a very hungry vampire.And that's just one house.Without the TARDIS to fall back on, the Doctor must stay with these four and learn what it's like to 'Be Human' for once.
Relationships: Grace O'Brien/Graham O'Brien, Jack Harkness & Everyone, Thirteenth Doctor & Yasmin Khan & Graham O'Brien & Ryan Sinclair
Comments: 10
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Being Human AU with two changes.
> 
> I added 'Alien' for the Doctor who is still the Doctor and 'Immortal' for Jack who was simply born and raised and died on Earth instead.

"Have you got everything, Ryan?"

Ryan rolls his eyes. "Been doing it for over a year now, nan," He answers stiffly. "I got everything that I need."

"Not everything," Graham speaks up from the kitchen. "We nearly forgot the chicken-"

"The chicken doesn't even work," Ryan glares at Graham. "What's the point in wasting it?"

Graham flicks his eyes between Grace and Ryan. "It keeps you busy-"

"No, it doesn't," Ryan folds his arms across his chest. "That thing isn't me, Graham," He states, emphasising the other man's name. "We don't all have such a closeness to the monster within, do we?"

"Ryan," Grace lightly taps his shoulder. "That's not fair, and you know it."

"I'm waiting in the car," Ryan turns and grabs at his bag. He leaves the house without another word.

"Graham-"

"Nah, love," Graham turns back to the fridge and grabs the chicken. "It's fine."

"He shouldn't have said it," Grace disagrees with him. "I'll make him say sorry when you get back."

"Oh, no," Graham offers her a smile. "He's going through the change, 'course he'll be a bit snappy, it's fine," He reassures. "I don't mind, honestly."

Grace raises a hand and gently makes Graham face her. "That's no excuse, and you know it this time."

"He has every right to be angry, love, it's my fault he's in this situation, and you're, well-" He sighs and flicks his eyes to the clock behind his wife. "We're gonna have to carry on this conversation tomorrow, it's nearly time-" He leans forward and kisses her. "Tell Jack not to burn the house down while we're gone 'cos I know he'll try even though he doesn't actually live here."

"No, he won't, Graham," Grace smiles at him. "We'll have a natter and a gossip, and I'll make him a tea when he gets back from work, now get going before the moon comes up-" She rolls her eyes and shoves Graham towards the door. "I'll see you two tomorrow." She smiles at him before dropping it once the door shuts behind it.

Oh, they don't half worry her nowadays. Used to get along like a house on fire and now Ryan can't stand to be in Graham's company at all.

"Be safe," Grace sighs.

* * *

"Peak District then, yeah, son?"

"I ain't your bloody son," Ryan snaps. "So, don't call me it."

"Fine," Graham starts the car, biting his tongue as he does it. "Weather is decent tonight-"

"Like I'm even going to know."

Graham's hands tighten on the wheel as he pulls away from their crowded house. "I'm trying, Ryan," He says, trying to at least work something out with the lad. "I know you don't like me."

"It's not you that I don't like," Ryan stares at him. "It's just what you are and what you did."

"I didn't do it-"

Ryan scoffs and turns to stare out of the window instead.

"Can we just get along again for Grace's sake?" Graham tries instead. "Cos the only person we're hurting is her in all of this, I know we're not exactly-"

"Don't say it."

"Okay," Graham sighs, he keeps his focus between the road and talking to the sulking teenager next to him. "Look, Ryan, I made mistakes-"

"Killing isn't a mistake," Ryan cuts him off. "And that's all your lot do because it's the only way, that's why Jack hangs around us because he's just your meal ticket without the guilt."

Graham finally turns to face Ryan, but he bites his tongue and faces forward once more. "I'm the best man I can be now, Ryan, isn't that something at least?"

"Whatever makes you sleep better at night, Graham."

They stay in silence after that as they make their trip out to the abandoned shack hidden away in the peak district. It took a while to find something like it, and thankfully, the growls and rage coming from it once a month is enough to put humans off from coming near it.

They're superstitious like that, consider the place haunted.

Course, they'd be correct, in a way, because ghosts are a thing, and Graham, Ryan, Jack would know considering Grace is one. They have a curious house nestled away in Park Hill.

A ghost.  
A werewolf.  
A vampire.  
And an Immortal.

A happy little family-

"Graham-" Ryan reaches over and grabs the vampire's arm before he points outside their windscreen. "-what is that in the sky?"

Graham squints through the windscreen, keen eyes widening when he figures out what it is. "It's a blue box; there's a light coming from- Oh, shit!"

"What?"

Graham slams on the breaks, causing the car to skid on the muddy path towards the shack. "Come on-"

"The moon, Graham," Ryan reminds, hostility forgotten for the time being. "It's still gonna rise."

Graham stops halfway between getting out of his car and the real thing of what looks to be a human falling from the blue box in the sky.

"We still got time," Graham decides and turns to run towards the forest, his eyes focused on the sky as they follow the figure dropping through it at speed.

"What are you looking at?" Ryan demands from just behind him. "I can't see anything."

"There's a person," Graham responds as his eyes follow where the figure hits the tree line, he waits for a moment before he hears the telltale thud. "Can't see how they could survive a fall like that, but we gotta check it out at least, right?"

Ryan looks utterly baffled by the man who married his nan, but his eyes flick to the sky for a different reason. The sun is just vanishing over the horizon, which means the moon will be up soon.

"They're not far," Graham yells as he hops over a fallen tree and lands neatly on the other side. His eyes flick around, finding nothing strange, so he smells instead and recoils back at the peculiar smell permeating this part of the forest. He steps forward along with Ryan, and they both snap their heads in the same direction when they hear a low groan.

Graham moves towards the sound and peeks through the brush, eyes widening when he spots a human-looking woman in appearance, but nothing else because she has two heartbeats and the smell of her blood is actually quite offputting, so to speak. 

Whatever she is, she is not human. A bit like them, he ponders. Her blonde hair is riddled with sticks, her clothes torn, but other than that, she's looking completely fine.

"Natives," The alien woman exclaims. "Humans, oh I love humans-" Ryan raises an eyebrow and glances at Graham who only shakes his head before he extends a hand down to her. She gladly accepts the hand with a smile. "I'm the-" She frowns. "-I'm not sure, never am, oh-" She looks baffled. "-your hand is cold, very cold, too cold, are you cold?"

"Uh-huh," Graham's brows furrow in bewilderment. "Anyway, you had a pretty big fall," He gestures to the sky. "I watched you fall from a blue box."

The alien woman's eyes widen immediately, and she stares at the sky. "My TARDIS, oh, I lost my TARDIS!"

"Oi," Ryan pulls at Graham's arm. "The moon-" His eyes flick to her. "-she's not safe here with me around."

"What are you talking about?" Her eyes snap to Ryan. "Not safe?"

"Uh," Ryan flounders on the spot. "Thing is-"

"You said humans," Graham decides to step in for the lad. "Only you're not a human, that much I can smell and hear from you," He frowns. "And, um, well, neither are we."

"What?" The alien woman furrows her brows at them. "You look human."

"So, do you," Graham shrugs. "But we're not, he's a werewolf-" He gestures towards Ryan before turning the finger onto himself. "-and I'm a vampire," He tries to smile. "We can't stay here, though, the moon is coming up, and Ryan needs to prepare for the change."

"Change?" The alien frowns at them. "What change?" Her head tilts comically. "Is he taking his clothes off? Why? What is wrong with them?"

"Yeah, no time to explain," Graham loops his arm through the alien woman's and pulls her back towards the car. "The best thing for you, right now, is to stay in the car for the time being."

Ryan is already marching ahead of them. "I'm going to the shack; it's too late to go back to the car now-"

Graham nods at him. "I'll see you tomorrow, all right?" He foolishly waits for a response before sighing and turning back towards their car. "Do you have a name?"

The alien woman looks baffled by what is going on. She scowls at Graham's arm in hers and pulls it free. "I told you-" She stares at his face. "I'm the- the-"

"You're 'the' what exactly?" Graham folds his arms across his chest.

She grabs the tip of her tongue and does a shuffle, turning in a circle before stopping suddenly and pointing at Graham's face. "I'm the Doctor, and I'm-" She wavers on her feet. "-oh I'm- I'm going to pass out in five seconds from now-"

Graham grabs her the moment she drops. "Passing out, great, just what I bloody need," He complains to no one. "Right, well-" His speech is paused when he hears the first scream of the night, and he glances up at the sky, watching as the moon drifts overhead. "-Ryan is shifting, and I have-" his eyes flicker down again. "-what I think is an alien in my arms."

He exhales and picks her up and makes the short journey back to his car. He gently places her on the backseat and slides into the front, one hand pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Oh, Grace is going to have a field day," Graham grimaces. "Go out for the evening with Ryan, come back with a bloody alien," He sighs and starts the car. "Can't very much leave her in the Peak District, I suppose."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Laying down some plot points here ;)

The sudden rapid banging on the glass jolts Graham awake from his uncomfortable nap. He winces when the sun hits his eyes and closes them as he reaches for his shades.

"You gonna let me in or what?" Ryan barks from outside. He's looking ragged and tired. "It's bloody cold out here, and I'm freezing my ass off while you take a nap."

"Yeah, yeah," Graham squints his eyes open and unlocks the car. Ryan grunts a thanks and makes his way around to the passenger side. He slips his shades on just as Ryan glides into his seat with a huff. "How was the night for-"

"Don't bother," Ryan cuts him off as he glances into the back half of the car. "Is she still alive?"

Graham doesn't need to turn; he's heard that double heartbeat all night beating away, a rhythmic thud, somehow far more annoying for restraint than he ever expected. "Yeah, she is," He informs the lad next to him. "Said she was gonna pass out, had to catch her, then I put her in the back 'cos I didn't know what else to do."

"I'm surprised she's still alive-"

"Yeah, that was a big fall she-" Ryan snorts, once again cutting Graham off. "-what?"

"I meant I'm surprised you didn't see a free meal and decide to take advantage of it, 'cos it's not like people would miss her like they would a human."

Graham narrows his eyes under the shades. "How long do I have to put up with you being like this? I haven't hurt anyone since you've known me, have I?" He snaps, frustrated. "I didn't curse you; I didn't kill Grace it was that bastard werewolf Tim Shaw-"

"Your presence brought him to us," Ryan challenges with pent up anger from the night before. "If you never met my nan, then we would still be human."

"Or dead."

"What?"

"I saved you, what happened wasn't my fault," Graham snappily retorts. "You liked me before all of this, you know, never had a problem with me marrying your nan even when I told you what I was."

"That was before your freaky little family ruined my life and killed my nan."

"It wasn't my 'family' that attacked you," Graham snaps in return. "I made sure that they would never harm you two, even now I'm making sure they don't harm you."

Ryan's mouth opens to retort, venom lacing his tongue. "Well, you did a pretty shit job at it, didn't you?" His face shifts the moment it falls from his mouth, his eyes dart to Graham's neck, mentally visualising the wound that nearly killed the vampire for good if it wasn't for Jack giving up his life for him again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say-"

"It's fine," Graham looks away and down into his lap, his hand rubs absently at his throat. "It's- no, let's just get home." He switches the car on and begins the drive back.

And here he thought he could perhaps take Ryan to get something to eat, but honestly, he's spent, and he's hungry.

Ryan can get his own damn food.

And anyway, they have the alien in the backseat sleeping of whatever knocked her out. The double heartbeat would be interesting if she didn't smell, so- so-

Offputting.

It's not that it's horrible to breathe in, it's just, different, unknown.

Weird.

Graham catches Ryan staring at the takeaways as they pass them by and he sighs because as much as Ryan might hate him, he still cares for the lad. "You're hungry, aren't you?" He questions, but the moment the word falls from his own mouth, he feels the burn in his throat rearing its ugly head.

"No."

"Oh, don't be a prat," Graham grunts, voice and tone short with him, cranky from hunger himself. "I can see you staring at them as we pass," He turns off their current road and doubles back to the McDonald's they just passed. "Just get something, so Grace doesn't think I'm starving you."

"You really gonna go through the drive-thru with an unconscious stranger in the back?"

"She's sleeping, and we've been travelling," Graham shrugs as he leans back. He rolls down the window and gestures at the speaker with an overdramatic flourish. "Order whatever you want, then," He doesn't mean to be short with him, but there's only so much he can take, and Ryan has been testing his self-control.

Ryan frowns at Graham but shuffles forward none the less. The vampire ignores whatever the lad orders, and pulls out his card the moment they appear at the window to pay. They resume the silence from before with Ryan pulling at a loose thread on his jacket and Graham tapping a pattern on the steering wheel. The food being brought over is a blessing, and Graham hands it over to Ryan without so much as a word or a glance to whatever is there.

"Thanks," Ryan mumbles the moment they pull away from the drive-thru. "You didn't have to pay for it."

Graham only stares ahead, hands clenching on the steering wheel.

Ryan glances at the pale man sat to his right. "I-" He looks into his lap. "I'm sorry for saying what I did about you not protecting us, 'cos you did," He sighs and holds out the second coffee he ordered to Graham. "I got you something."

Graham flicks his eyes from the road and looks towards the coffee held out to him. He accepts it wordlessly, placing it down in the drink holder.

"Graham," Ryan says, evidently trying to get the other man to at least acknowledge him a bit more. "You did protect us; I was wrong to say you didn't."

"You still got cursed, and Grace died," Graham points out as he pulls up outside of their house. "So, I don't really see how I did my job," He slides from the car, pausing only to grab the coffee and to hand the keys over to Ryan. "Thanks for the coffee."

"What about her in the back?" Ryan calls out after him.

Graham turns and faces Ryan, shrugging as he walks backwards and away from their house. "Her name is the Doc," He shouts. "I got somewhere I need to be."

"You can't leave me with her," Ryan glares at Graham. "Where are you going?"

Graham stops, eyes glancing to the coffee in his hand and back again. "I'll be back after I have-" He shakes the beverage, indicating to Ryan what it means. "-a drink."

Ryan's face shifts and he nods stiffly just as Graham turns around. The trip itself isn't far, thankfully, just a short walk to the block of flats and then a jog up the stairs because knowing the lift, it'll be either broken, covered in piss, or both and Graham doesn't really want to be dealing with that.

So, the stairs it is. He takes them at an average pace, moulding himself to look like the human he's presenting as. His hearing picks up the sound of someone coming up behind, and he glances back, spotting her.

Police officer. Young, probably about Ryan's age if Graham had to guess. He recognises her from his many trips here. 

She lives next door to Jack.

Graham pauses. "Morning," He greets. "Good shift?"

The young woman stops. "How did you-"

"Uniform," Graham gestures to her shoes and general appearance. "You're coming home from work, and those are shoes that police officers wear."

"Observant," The young woman states. "What about you then, you don't look like you're coming home from work unless your work involves you walking through a muddy field," Her eyes flick down to his feet.

Graham glances down as well and spots the dried mud covering his shoes and jeans. "Went for a walk, kinda went off the path if I'm honest," The young woman nods at that as she makes her way past him, he walks in step with her as he thinks. "Weird question here," He glances towards her. "Do you like your job?"

"What?"

"Your job," Graham says again. "Do you like it?"

"Yeah," The young woman looks baffled. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason," Graham lies with a smile. "There was a time when I wouldn't have minded being an officer, but stuff got in the way, never managed it," He gestures to the door next to hers. "Anyway, this is where my stop is-"

The young woman frowns at the door and then to him. "You know the guy who lives there?"

"Yeah, a friend of mine," Graham waves her off. "Anyway, I've taken enough of your time now."

"Uh," The young woman pauses before turning towards her own door. "I guess I'll see you around then if you're friends with him," She smiles briefly. "He comes round to ours for sugar and my dad's terrible pakora's, but don't tell either of them I said that."

"Sounds like Jack to be fair," Graham snorts. He goes to turn towards Jack's door, only to stop halfway. "Hey-" The young woman faces him once more. "-do you know Ramesh Sunder?" He questions, eyes catching the expression on her face.

He knows the answer before she even says it.

"Yeah," The young woman's brows furrow. "He's my supervisor, um-" Her eyes narrow a tad. "-do you know him?"

"Met him a few times," Graham offers her a small smile as he lies. "Had some trouble not that long ago, he handled the situation for me good and proper."

The young woman's eyes widen. "Wait-" She steps towards Graham, forgetting her key in her door. "-I think I remember the case because it was the only one he did," She looks at Graham closely. "There was an animal attack."

"Yeah," Graham glances away, eyes flicking over the balcony and focusing on the area that his house is in the distance. "As I said, Ramesh sorted it out for me, just curious if you knew him," He looks back at her again. "Tell him I said hi if you remember, and um, thanks."

"Uh, yeah, sure," She confirms. "I'm Yasmin, by the way-" She holds her hand out for Graham to shake. "-I don't remember your-"

"Graham," He informs her. "I live somewhere over there-" He gestures quickly. "-with my grandson Ryan-"

"Ryan-" Yasmin repeats, brows creasing. "Wait, not Ryan Sinclair?"

"You know him?"

"We went to school together, but I never-" Her eyes flick away. "-I didn't make the connection," She looks back again. "How is he?"

Graham shrugs as his mind travels back to the night just unfolded. "He's getting there, hard for the lad, but he's-"

The sound of a door opening catches them both off guard with each one turning to look at the man. "Gonna chat all day, Graham?" He speaks with an easy smile. "Or are you coming in?" His eyes flick to the coffee held in Graham's hand. "Is that mine?"

Graham glances to the barely hot coffee now, and he suddenly remembers the reason he came here in the first place. "Yeah," He hands it over before turning to Yasmin again. "Nice chat."

"Uh, yeah," Yasmin blinks between them. "See ya."

"Yeah," Graham replies as he watches her enter her house before finding himself dragged into Jack's flat, the door shutting behind them quickly.

"Why are you talking to the neighbours, Graham?"

Graham looks baffled by that line of questioning. "Why can't I speak to them?"

"Because you're you," Jack replies in a tone that says it should be obvious why he can't. "And she's a copper, and you just asked her to say hello to what's his face, you know, your mate from the police."

"He's not my mate," Graham frowns at Jack. "We share something in common, but he ain't my mate."

"So, I'll ask again," Jack takes a drink from the lukewarm coffee, grimacing from it as he does. "Why are you asking her to say hello to him?"

It's not that Graham doesn't like the police, it's just, how to put this; his kind of people sorta runs them, and well, Graham knows Ramesh Sunder all too well from the past. People like them tend to know each other names and faces, comes with the territory of being a vampire.

"Letting him know that I'm still alive and kicking," Graham answers as he takes a step into Jack's kitchen. "That I still have some leverage left even after everything that happened."

"Do you want that leverage?" Jack decides to throw the coffee away as he voices his questions. "The last thing I knew was that you wanted peace and quiet and a break away from all of that." He makes his way to his fridge and starts rifling through it. "Or has that changed all of a sudden?"

Graham grunts, deciding not to answer that line of questioning. "How was Grace last night?"

Jack extracts himself from the fridge. "You're not answering my question," He gestures at him with a finger. "And why are you asking about Grace?" He frowns into the fridge now, finding exactly what he's looking for and pulling it out. "You've seen her this morning?"

"Actually, uh, no, I haven't seen her," Graham mumbles as his eyes lock onto the package Jack's thrown through the air to him. He catches it effortlessly. "Had a bit of an issue and before you ask, no, it hasn't got anything to do with Ryan or myself."

"Then why are you around here like a banker visiting his mistress on the side instead of being with his wife?"

"I wish you wouldn't word it like that, Jack, 'cos this isn't an affair," Graham frowns at Jack. "And I wish you wouldn't put this in the fridge; I don't like it cold-"

"I don't have to extract it for you every morning," Jack points out with a smirk. "Deal with it," Graham gives Jack a withering look as he gets up to shove the blood pack into the microwave. "No, no-" Jack slaps his hands away from the dial and pulls it out. "-you are not microwaving my blood." Graham scowls at the immortal man and snatches the pack from his hands. He stalks away, and Jack saunters after him. "Anyway, you never said, what was this issue?"

Graham flicks his eyes towards Jack as he begins looking through the other man's cupboard for a mug.

"Do you really have to use my mugs for that?"

"It's your blood," Graham grabs one and begins depositing the red liquid into it. He breathes it in, savouring the smell.

"No," Jack shakes his head. "Not that one!"

"Why not?"

"It's my favourite."

Graham smirks as he brings the mug closer, breathing in a lot deeper now. "Too late."

"You're an ass," Jack states with a fondness for the vampire. "And you can get that look off your face," He speaks up, amused. "I know I smell divine, but there's no need to look like that."

Graham's eyes snap to Jack. "This is a damn sight better than what I was smelling for the entire damn night," He complains as he drinks from the mug like it's a cup of tea. "And no, I'm not talking 'bout Ryan," He leans against Jack's countertop. "Cos I found an alien."

Jack blinks at Graham. "What?"

"An alien, Jack," He sips at the red liquid, and he feels the burn in his throat lessen. "She's a bloody alien, excuse the pun."

"I'm not saying I don't believe you-"

"But you don't believe me."

"Yeah."

Graham sighs. "Look, I've smelt a lot of things over the years, and that smell was something new, Jack, plus there was the heartbeat."

"The heartbeat?"

"Double," Graham drinks from the mug again. "She has two hearts, Jack, heard it throughout the night."

"And you left her with Ryan and Grace to deal with?"

Graham nods. "Don't tell the lad, but even though she smelt weird, the heartbeat was enough to wind me up," He admits feeling guilty. "Had to come here first of all, 'cos even though it's been years, this isn't something you can just stop."

Jack nods. "Will that be enough?"

Graham looks at the dregs in the mug. "Dunno," He finishes it and rubs a hand down his face. "You might as well come round and meet her," He suggest. "That's if she's even woken up."

"All right," Jack pushes himself from the wall he was leant against. "Let's go and meet your alien, shall we?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Gently, love," Grace instructs her grandson as he places the alien woman down on their sofa. "We don't know if she's hurt-"

"She fell from the sky, nan, and smashed into the ground," Ryan states. "Graham said she was alive; he never mentioned whether she was hurt or not."

"Ah, Graham," Grace doesn't look impressed by the mention of his name, which is a rare occurrence for the woman who loves him. "I'll have his head when he shows back up, fancy leaving you to deal with the poor lass."

"He said he was hungry."

Grace's face remains unimpressed by this revelation. "That's not an excuse-"

"And I was rude to him, like insulting, and yeah, I don't like him, but what I said was too much and not fair on him."

Grace looks at Ryan and exhales. "What did you say?"

Ryan settles himself in the chair opposite the alien woman. "Do I have to repeat it?" He watches his nan's face for a moment before sighing. "I said he didn't do a good job at protecting us and we're what we are now 'cos of him-"

"Ryan!" Grace scolds the lad. "You know what it cost him," She reminds. "The guilt of killing Jack even if he comes back, it was still there, and he did it."

"I know." Ryan winces, mind bringing up the uncomfortable memories of watching Graham drain Jack dry, his eyes as black as the night and teeth embedded into the immortal man's neck. "-But I said I was sorry, nan!"

Grace runs a hand down her face. "You're both as bad as each other," She declares. "I wish you two would just get along with one another, why can't you?"

Ryan grunts in response. "It's not as simple as that, nan."

Grace's expression softens, and she approaches her grandson, laying a hand upon his shoulder in a fond manner. "I know."

"Graham said her name was the Doc, by the way," Ryan informs Grace after a moment of silence. "She's an alien or something, bound to be considering the height she fell from."

Grace walks over to her and kneels down, she reaches forward and runs her hand over her. "Do you think she'd be able to see me like you, Graham, and Jack can?"

"I'm not sure," Ryan shrugs as he gets up and joins her by the alien woman's side. He reaches for her wrist and feels for a pulse, frowning and then jumping back in shock when the woman's mouth releases a golden mist. "What the hell was-"

"Language, Ryan," Grace shakes her head at her grandson. "And I'm not sure what it was."

Ryan's brows furrow at his nan as a smirk lights up his face. "You married a bloke who can't even enter a church, why are you telling me to mind my-" The look on his nan's face causes him to shuffle away from her preemptively. "-all right, shutting up."

"Good," Grace smiles at him just as their front door opens. "Graham, is that you?"

Graham pokes his head through the door. "And Jack-" Grace stands and walks over to the vampiric man, he instinctively steps back. "-all right, love, nothing is wrong, is there?"

"You left Ryan to bring in that poor lass all by himself-"

"I-"

"-and it was just after his change," Grace continues. "You could've helped and then went 'round to Jack's, or called him to come here."

Graham's eyes flick around, he catches Jack smirking at him, and he shoots him a quick glare. "I was starved, love," He confesses. "She might smell strange, but that double heartbeat drove me mental all-"

"Wait," Grace blinks at Graham. "Double heartbeat?"

"Yeah," Graham nods, relieved that that has caught Grace's attention now. "I can hear it beating from here, and it's annoying."

Jack squeezes past them and enters the living room. "Is that her?"

Ryan rolls his eyes at Jack. "Well, it ain't one of us, is it?"

"Mouthy," Jack grins before he focuses on the sleeping woman. "Why are her clothes four times too big for her?"

"I dunno," Graham voices from the hallway, his shoes hit the floor by the front door so as not to trail dried mug through the house. "That's how we found her."

Jack nods while frowning. "Looks like she's been in a battle," He gestures to scorch marks littered across the jacket. "Was there anything else?"

"She mentioned a TARDIS or something," Graham reveals with a shrug. "I'm guessing that was the blue box thing I saw in the sky that she fell from, can't believe I'm saying this, but I think that was her ship."

"So, on top of vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and Jack," Ryan lists. "There are aliens as well?"

"Mhmm," The alien woman in question groans as her eyes flicker open. "I'm alien, and I'm here."

"Yeah, we know," Graham looks down on her, nose wrinkled. "She don't half smell strange."

"Rude," The woman murmurs as she sits up slowly. Grace instinctively reaches for her and helps her into a sitting position. "Thanks," She says, looking directly at Grace. "It's not my fault that I smell, blame my previous self."

"She can see me."

"Course I can," She states. "I'm the Doctor, by the way."

"No, but," Grace turns and faces the three men behind her. "She can actually see me."

The Doctor frowns between the four of them. "You said vampire-" She gestures at Graham. "Werewolf-" Finger aimed at Ryan. "-a Jack-"

"That's my name," He winks at her and Graham slaps him on the arm. "I'm immortal, very rare compared to this lot," He grins. "Common as muck-"

"Oi," Graham shoves Jack. "Nothing wrong with being common, ain't there, Ryan?" His eyes flick to the younger man with hope, hope that gets dashed pretty quickly when he doesn't respond. "Doesn't matter."

The Doctor picks up on the tension in the room before finally turning towards the only other woman present. "And ghost," She stares at Grace. "I take it you're-"

"Dead, love," Grace replies tightly. "Hard to take in, I know."

"Where do you come from?" Ryan blurts out, eager to change the subject from something so morbid.

The Doctor sits still. "Far away," She says as much as she's willing to. She turns towards Graham, eyes narrowed. "You're a vampire."

"Yeah."

"My people fought the vampires before," The Doctor reveals. "You're different to them."

"I should hope so," Graham's eyes are widened, and he shuffles his feet. "I haven't fought any aliens," He reassures quickly. "You're the first one I've met, and I've lived a long time."

"He's all right," Jack says suddenly. "He doesn't hurt people, gets his blood from me every morning."

There's another awkward silence in the air between the five of them that only gets broken when Grace claps her hands together. "Does anyone fancy a cuppa?"

The Doctor nods enthusiastically. "Oh, yes, please."

"Boys?"

"A coffee for me, Grace," Jack says as his eyes flick to Graham. "Considering someone brought me a cold one this morning-"

"Technically," Graham begins to correct. "It was my coffee that you stole from me. I couldn't say it wasn't in front of that human now, could I?"

"Human?" Ryan looks at Graham. "What human?"

"Jack's neighbour," Graham answers. "I asked her some stuff-"

"No, not just stuff," Jack shakes his head. "He asked her about Ramesh Sunder."

Grace stares directly at Graham. "And why did you ask about him, Graham?"

"Yeah," Ryan speaks up with a glare. "I thought you wanted nothing to do with other vampires."

Graham looks between Grace and Ryan. "I never said that," He admits. "And you both know I can't just wash my hands with my kind, they know me from before-"

Jack spots Ryan's mouth beginning to open, and he steps in front of him. "I've been around Graham and vampires long enough to know a thing or two about them," He backs up the pale man. "He speaks the truth, even though I'd wish he went a different route in regards to Ramesh, but you two-" He stares at Grace and Ryan. "-as much as no one here agrees with what other vampires do and how they feed, he did cover up what happened to the pair of you, so Graham owes him that much, at least."

"Because it suited him," Ryan counters with a glare. "And-"

"And you," Jack cuts him off. "So, maybe just get of Graham's back for a bit, all right?"

The Doctor clears her throat, indicating that she is still very much sat there, and this conversation is something she doesn't feel equip to listen in on.

Grace welcomes the distraction. "Right, cuppas and a coffee for Jack," She nods. "Then we can discuss what we're going to do about our new friend here, all right?" She gets four nods in return and quickly exits the living room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooooooooo

One week later...

...And Graham regrets ever discovering the alien women who fell through the sky when he's woken up again by another loud clang. 

The fifth of the morning.

"I'm going to bloody kill her, Grace," Graham snaps. "Five times she's woken me up with her banging and clanging-"

"No, you're not going to kill her, love," Grace sighs next to him.

Graham presses his hands against his eyes and groans loudly. "Would it kill her to just wait until the afternoon or something?" He glances over to the clock on his bedside table and groans again. "I'll kick her out of the house, all I want is to lie in while the blasted sun moves away from the house."

Grace rolls her eyes and slowly picks herself up from their bed, she doesn't sleep like she once did, but she still likes lying next to her husband while he does. She taps Graham on the arm. "Come on, up," She requests. "You're as bad as Ryan, only worse because he's a teenager and you're three-hundred and ten."

"No, not getting up, love," Graham pulls the covers tighter around himself. "It's a crime to get up this early, never had to get up this early before," He frowns. "I did when I was human, you know, always was an early riser then, but you had to be if you needed to get anywhere in good time on the account that all we had were horses and carts and no cars."

Grace shakes her head and begins making her way around to the curtain drawn across their window. "Don't make me pull them open, Graham."

"You wouldn't dare," Graham speaks with dread, eyes widened.

Grace's hand latches onto the curtain, and she stares pointedly at Graham before pulling them open, bathing the room in bright sunlight.

"Betrayal," Graham states as he screws his eyes shut and the pulls the covers over his head like a teenager refusing to get up for school. "And from the woman I love, no less."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Grace admonishes him. "The sun doesn't harm you."

Graham scowls under the covers and slowly pokes his head out of them before throwing them off and getting up. "It hurts my eyes."

"Don't look at it then," Grace smiles at him as she walks forward to take his face in her hands gently. "Love you."

Graham's scowl drops in an instant, and he beams at her. "Love you too," He lightly kisses her on the cheek. "I'm gonna have a word with the Doc now-" He turns to leave his bedroom, pausing when Grace grabs his hand. "-what?"

"Dressing gown, love," She nods towards it. "Unless you're going to talk to her in your pyjama bottoms and no shirt."

"Oh, yeah," Graham replies dumbly. He shrugs it on and sticks on his slippers for good measure. "Better?"

"Better," Grace smiles at him. "Be nice to her; she's new here."

He turns and leaves the bedroom, feet stomping down the stairs. "Doc-"

"In the kitchen-"

Graham strides towards the kitchen. "Doc, we need to talk about your-" He stops when he sees the state of the kitchen. "-what did you do?"

"I needed the microwave," The Doctor rambles over the mess on the kitchen table. "Well, I needed a component from it-"

Graham looks towards where the microwave used to be, and in its place, all he sees is the dust and crumbs that have been brushed under it instead of cleaned up from Ryan. "You can't just take apart the things in our house," He rubs a hand down his face. "Seriously, that costs money, Doc."

"I need it to locate my TARDIS, Graham," The Doctor rolls her eyes at the vampire. "I've said this before," Graham can feel a headache forming behind his eyes. "Oh," The Doctor jumps up from her seat and makes her way towards a cupboard. "Jack left this for you before he went to work-" She reaches into it and hands over the package. "-asked me to put it into the fridge, but you said you didn't like it in the fridge, so I put it in the cupboard-"

Graham takes the package from her. "You listened to that?" He clutches the warm red liquid to his chest. "Jack never does." The Doctor shrugs and settles herself back into her vacated seat. "What are you actually making?" He asks as he selects his mug and sits across from her. "If you don't mind me asking, that is."

"Would be easier if I had more advanced equipment," The Doctor scrunches her face up. "But I'm building a device that will hopefully locate where my TARDIS landed and teleport me there."

"Uh-huh," Graham murmurs, the information and tech flying entirely over his head. He sips at the blood contently. "Can you not make as much noise in the morning while you do that, though?"

"Hmm?"

"The morning, Doc," Graham clarifies with a look. "You woke me up five times this morning, and it's only-" He glances towards the clock on the kitchen wall. "-just gone nine in the morning."

"Didn't realise you slept," The Doctor blinks at him. "On the account that you're dead."

Graham's brows crease together. "I'm not dead-"

"You're a vampire."

"But I ain't dead, 'cos I still bleed," Graham corrects her. "Either way, I'm not the only creature who sleeps in this house, there's Ryan-"

"Ryan hasn't complained."

Graham presses his lips into a thin line. "Just keep the noise down, please? You are a guest here until you find your ship."

The Doctor hums, signifying the end to that conversation.

"Well, uh," Graham stands and drinks the remainder of his breakfast. "Good chat, I suppose, just take what I said into account, all right?"

He doesn't get a reply and shakes his head as he leaves the kitchen, catching Ryan looking at him from the bottom of the stairs with puzzlement. "You're never up this early, Graham."

"It's the Doc," Graham rubs at the base of his neck. "She's woken me up by her clanging-"

"I haven't heard anything."

Graham sighs. "Doubt you would've, son."

"What does that mean?"

Graham gently nudges Ryan aside as he begins making his way back up the stairs again. "Hearing," He glances to him and shrugs. "Can pick up all sorts with this, can be a right pain in the ass."

Ryan watches him go before following retracing Graham's steps towards the kitchen, glaring instantly at the cup he's left on the table. "Seriously, Graham?" He says loud enough for the man to hear him. "If you're gonna drink that in the house, clean it up-" He complains as he shoves the cup into the sink and runs water. "-you don't drink blood, do you?"

The Doctor doesn't look up from her work as she speaks. "No, but I do fancy a custard cream," She finally locks her eyes on Ryan's face. "You don't have any, do you?"

"Doubt it," Ryan answers with a shake of his head. "Could get you some from the shop though, if you want."

"Oh," The Doctor's eyes brighten at that. "Yes, now?" She jumps up and grabs Ryan's arm.

"Uh-" Ryan looks at the sealed pack of cereal he came into the kitchen to have before sighing. "Fine now, but we're picking up some breakfast on the way 'cos I'm hungry."

"Brilliant," The Doctor beams and practically charges for the door. "Love a custard cream I do-" She frowns for a moment. "-at least I think I do in this body, haven't tried them yet, but I don't half fancy one."

"And you can get some new clothes while we're out," Ryan states with a quick look up and down. "Cos no offence, they're a fashion disaster, mate."

The Doctor looks down at her clothes and shakes them. "I suppose you're right," She glances back at Ryan. "If I had my TARDIS I would just pick from the wardrobed, but-"

"You don't have a TARDIS, I know," Ryan finishes her sentence. "Come on, shopping, we'll use Graham's card." He winks as he heads towards the front door with the alien woman.

\----

Graham pads his way down the stairs again, freshened up, changed, and frowning softly at how quiet everything is. He sniffs the air. "Grace, love-"

"Yeah?"

"I heard the door go while I was having a shower, did they say where they were going?"

"Shopping," She answers from the living room. "Thought you were moaning about hearing everything in the house?" She teases with a smile.

"I was in the shower," Graham defends himself. "Can't hear everything with the water beating down on you."

Grace chuckles at that and Graham joins her, liking the sound of it. "Did they say when they'd be back?"

Grace shakes her head. "Ryan is taking her to get new clothes-"

"Oh, good," Graham says in an instant. "About time."

"You could've taken her shopping, love."

Graham grunts at that. "Anyway," He leans down and presses a kiss to Grace's head. "I'm going out, got some stuff I need to do, nothing bad, don't worry about it, just bank stuff, things like that."

"Now I am worrying about it, Graham," Grace turns to look at him with narrowed eyes. "You're not seeing Ramesh are you?"

"What?"

"You asked about him last week, been a bit off about it," Grace lists on her hand.

"Course, I'm not," Graham tells the truth. "We got the Doc with us now, the last thing I wanna do is make them aware of her if you get my meaning, it's bad enough trying to keep you, Ryan, and Jack safe, can't add her to my plate as well."

"You don't have to protect everyone, Graham," Grace says in concern.

Graham smiles sadly at that as he leaves the living room. "I'll see you later, love," He calls out to her. "Jack will be coming 'round again 'cos he doesn't want me struggling with the Doc in the house, we've worked it out together."

"Okay," Grace follows him to the front door, watching him with saddened eyes. "See you later, yeah?"

"Yeah," Graham jogs down the steps, giving her one last smile before turning and heading towards the nearest bus stop, which is only a short walk from their house.

Shorter if he hopped over the wall leading down the hill, but it's broad daylight, and people are all around him, they'd notice the man jumping fifteen foot of a wall. He risks a glance up at the sky, smiling with happiness when it's the typical overcast day.

See, most humans would hate that, they do love the sun, but for Graham, well, the sun is overrated. He much prefers it when it's cloudy and miserable; rain is even better. He's so caught up in the sun that he doesn't notice the car pulling up next to him until it's directly beside him, skidding to a stop.

And he doesn't need to wait for the window to roll down to know who or more precisely, what's sitting inside of it.

Vampires.

More than one, more than him.

The window rolls down, revealing the first and Graham knows him in a flash. "Ah, officer, what can I do for you?"

The ginger-haired officer flashes him a wicked smile. "Ramesh got your message, O'Brien," He keeps the smile on his face. "Fancy using a human girl for it, thought you were past all that and liked dogs and ghosts better than your own kind now?"

"Why are you here?" Graham requests, pleasantry vanishing just as quick as it arrived.

"Ah, simple, ain't it?" The ginger-haired man shrugs. "Ramesh decided he doesn't really want competition, or someone with your name hanging around the city, plus letting dogs run wild doesn't look good on him, does it?"

"Well, get to the damn point, then," Graham levels a look at him. "How many do you have in there?" He flicks his eyes to the back, smelling before snorting in amusement. "Ramesh sent four to do his dirty work?" He scoffs, leaning back on his heels. "I've killed more than that in one night, and let me tell you, the ones I killed were a damn sight more scarier than you lot are."

There's a flicker on the ginger-haired man's face, smug almost and Graham doesn't like that at all. Fear he can deal with, the same with anger, or anything else really, but smugness?

That's never good because it means they aren't scared.

And that never bodes well at all.

"Come with us, O'Brien," The ginger-haired man smiles. "And we don't kill your pet dog or torture your pet immortal."

Graham stares at the man in the driver's seat. "Very well," He grunts and proceeds into the car. "Trust Ramesh knows what he's doing," He says as nonchalantly as he can. "Cos I'd hate for this to backfire in his face," He smiles at the man up front, eyes switching to black. "Which it will, I promise you that, you don't get to threaten my family."

"You shouldn't have turned your back on your actual family, O'Brien," The ginger-haired man says from upfront, his now black eyes locking on Graham through the rear-view mirror.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I drew what Vampire!Graham would look like with the black eyes to give everyone an idea about him, it's at the bottom of the page.

A quick trip home, one shower after work, and a blood pack extracted and in Jack's pocket makes him completely set. He makes his way around to Graham's house, eager to see them all again.

Well, mainly the Doctor, to be fair, because she's by far the most exciting person he's seen for the last few decades. He bounds up the steps and is about to knock on the door, only he doesn't get a chance when it swings open, revealing a concerned-looking Ryan.

"Jack," Ryan says, his eyes darting behind the immortal man. "Is it just you?"

"Yeah?" Jack frowns in response. "Who else would it be?"

Ryan chews his bottom lip. "Come in, now," He steps aside and allows Jack to enter before shutting the door and striding back into the living room. "Something has happened."

Jack enters after him, eyes flicking to each person present and then to the space where the obviously missing person should be sat. "Where's Graham?"

"We were hoping you knew," Grace begins, worry lighting up her face. "He went out earlier and never came back, got us really worried."

Ryan nods. "He told nan he was going to the bank, and I checked, it's true 'cos I tried playing for the Doctor's new stuff with the bank card he gave me-" He gestures to the suddenly serious, but quiet woman stood near the window. "-and it was declined, they said to take it up with the bank."

"We were hoping he came round to yours for blood," Grace hugs onto herself. "But if you haven't seen him then he hasn't."

"Yeah," Jack sighs and pulls out the pack, laying it down on the dining room table. "I haven't seen him at all today, dropped off his morning pack with the Doctor, was coming round to drop this one off."

"And I gave that one to him," The Doctor speaks for once, her tone of voice taking a completely different approach. "Has he done this before?" She asks as she turns around. "Vanished without mentioning where he's going?"

"No," Grace shakes her head, nerves riddle her body. "He always tells me where he's going-"

"Yeah," Ryan backs her up. "Ever since what happened to us, we kinda make sure we all know where everyone is, Doctor, all the time."

"So, this isn't in his character, at all?"

"Graham would tell us where he's going," Jack speaks next. "I've known him for the longest; even when he was learning to live another way, he'd tell me where he was going just to make sure I knew he wasn't slipping into his older ways."

There's silence among all of them, each one feeling the quickening of their hearts.

"We need to find him then, don't we?" The Doctor decides.

\----

It's a room.

Four walls.

No windows.

Not even a bed.

But at least there's a door.

And a drain in the centre of the floor.

There's also a camera in the corner, staring directly at him and Graham keeps his eyes locked on it, narrowed and blue. He'll keep the black hidden for the time being. 

His attention is brought to the door as it opens, revealing an older man, bald, dressed in the outfit of a doctor or something like that.

Also, a human judging by the smell coming from him.

"He was right then," The human man looks down at Graham with an almost gleeful expression on his lined face. "I'm Dr Zellin; it's a pleasure to meet someone like you, never thought we would get our hands on such an old type one," He speaks excitedly. "Three-hundred and ten I believe you are if our source is correct, course, we've had younger type ones before, but you-" His eyes light up. "-you're something special."

Graham keeps his mouth shut.

Because he has far more pressing things to think about, like why would Ramesh and his merry band of idiots sell him out to a human? 'Cos they did, they must've handed him over to this bald bloke after they knocked him out and told him everything about him.

"Not talkative, are we?" Dr Zellin murmurs. "Pity."

Graham stands up and approaches Dr Zellin. "What stops me from just walking out of here?" He questions because he can. "You wouldn't be as brazen as to stand there gloating if I could."

"You're perceptive," Dr Zellin nods, impressed. He pulls out the relic around his neck, and Graham finds himself stepping back involuntarily. "I know what you're weak against, and this works wonders," He glances down at it. "It worked on the younger ones we had, surprised to see it works just as well on you as it did them."

Graham stares at the relic in Dr Zellin's hands. "I'm assuming Ramesh sold me out to you, whoever you are, then?"

"It was a mutual agreement," Dr Zellin places the relic under his shirt once again. "He gets to proceed with his business; we get to learn about what you are."

Graham smiles at that, faking it entirely. "Gonna hazard a guess that I don't have much say in this, do I?"

"Unfortunately not," Dr Zellin sighs. "No one would agree to the tests we want to proceed with, but you'll be fed."

That causes Graham to fret in an instant. "With what?"

"Humans of course," Dr Zellin smiles at him. "People won't miss the ones we take; you'll get your fill of them, don't you worry about that, can't have you not being your best while you're here."

"Right," Graham nods, hands pressed on his hips, nerves filling him. 

He can't kill people.

He's worked hard to fight that part of him, but if they stick people in here, if he starves, then he'll snap and everything he's learnt, everything he's fought against...

...would be gone.

And he'd go back to that creature from before.

The one who ruined the town of Redbridge, giving it its name and moniker.

"You know I have people out there, people who will know I'm missing?" Graham says, trying to ignore the rising fear and panic. "They'd search for me."

"A type two, a type three, and the exceedingly rarer type four," Dr Zellin helpfully informs Graham. "We know them very, very well."

"Yeah," Graham nods. "Bet you do."

At least they don't know about the alien currently living in his house.

She's the unknown.

To them.

To everyone really.

Maybe she can pull something out of her sleeve.

"I'll get out of this, you know?" Graham looks up and into the eyes of Dr Zellin. "I always do." His eyes flash black.

"Type ones do not frighten me, Mr O'Brien," Dr Zellin smiles wide. "I'm afraid to say that you won't be leaving here, and unfortunately, after we're done with you, we will be moving onto the type two, three, and four that you know so well."

Graham nods to that, lips pressed tightly together. "Shouldn't have said that, mate," He stares at the human man, sneering. "Shouldn't have said that at all."

\----

"So, what do we do then?" Ryan stands and begins pacing the length of the living room. "Graham doesn't just vanish like this."

"We trace his steps," The Doctor speaks. "Figure out where he was taken-"

Ryan locks his eyes on the Doctor. "And we should trust you to get him back?"

The Doctor tilts her head at Ryan. "I thought you didn't like him-"

"I don't," Ryan says all too quickly to fool anyone. "But my nan loves him, and this is gonna hurt her if we don't get him back."

Jack narrows his eyes at Ryan but decides to leave it for the time being. "Graham could track any one of us," He looks at each of them. "But we can't; we don't have his nose-"

"What about Ryan?" The Doctor asks with a glance in the lad's direction. "Can't you track him?"

Ryan shakes his head. "If it was nearer the full moon, then maybe, but it ain't," He shrugs and settles himself next to his nan, taking her hand in his. "Jack is right; Graham could track anyone; he's got an excellent sense of smell."

Jack rests his hand against his chin. "What about another vampire?"

"What?" Grace snaps her head to Jack.

"Graham has friends, doesn't he?" Jack points out. "If we could contact one, maybe they could help-"

"What about this person in the police you all mentioned?" The Doctor looks between all of them. "Could he not help you?"

"I don't trust him," Jack states with clarity. "But it might be our only lead if we can't find a friend of Graham's," He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Doctor, you're going to have to stay here while we go and speak to Ramesh Sundar-"

"No," The Doctor folds her arms behind her back, brand new grey coat fanning her legs and shoulders. "Graham took me from the forest, and you have allowed me to stay in your house for a week while I search for my TARDIS, the least I can do is help you find your missing family member."

Grace and Ryan look towards Jack, expecting a decision from him due to him being the second oldest in their little family. "All right, fine," Jack nods. "But the moment you walk in there, they'd know you're not human or anything they've ever smelt before."

"Good," The Doctor grins, and for the first time, they see a wild spark behind her eyes and mouth, all teeth showing.

Dangerous. 

"That works in my favour."

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some good old backstory here

Jack joins Grace by the window, his eyes flicking towards the woman he has come to count as a family as well. "He'll be all right, Grace," He reassures. "He always is."

"Something has happened to him, Jack."

"I know."

"He would've said where he was going."

"I know," Jack says again, weary, tired. "We'll find him and get him back."

Grace looks down to the ring on her hand; she couldn't remove it even if she wanted to, like everything else she has on. "In all the time that you have known him, Jack, had he ever done something like this before?"

Jack thinks back to the time he first met Graham O'Brien...

...Dingy bar, the late 1940s, World War Two just recently over, and Jack Harkness was trying to get drunk, again, although he only recently decided to go by the name 'Jack Harkness'.

After his plane was shot down over the skies of Britain and the name 'Javic Piotr Thane' was marked for dead, it seemed a bit daft to use it. So, Jack Harkness was born.

In fire and brimstone.

Honestly, waking up surrounded by burning fragments, some of which that were still embedded within his torso was, concerning, to say the least.

What was more concerning was the fact that when the newly christened Jack Harkness removed them, his flesh knitted together without a scar.

But to get back to the vampiric man in question, where was he? Ah, yeah, dingy bar with booze that could've been piss for all that Jack knew.

It sure tasted like it.

His sober eyes stared into the cup before he necked it and requested another. The bartender didn't care, Jack had the money, and he paid in full already, and well, he was being quiet.

They both fought in the war; both knew not to speak or ask about it.

"Drinking away your problems?" A smooth voice said from his left. "I can tell by the look on your face."

Jack turned his head and spied the strangely handsome and bright-eyed person next to him. He had an easy smile, something that Jack definitely took attention to.

He was also hard to place for an age, boyish good looks, but lined features.

Intriguing.

"Is it that easy to tell?" Jack replied, his voice level and slipping into something that isn't so monotone as it's most recently been. "What about you?"

"Oh, you know how it is," The stranger smirked before looking towards the bartender. "Whatever he's having, mate."

The bartender glanced his way, stiffly, and with a flash of hesitation on his face. His eyes flicked to Jack and back to the stranger once more. "He's a survivor of the war, don't pick him."

"So, am I," The stranger rolled his eyes at the bartender. "Now, come on, Clive, you know our little arrangement-" His finger made a circular motion on the counter. "-see, we're just having a friendly drink, nothing more," The stranger reassured. "You know I don't make a mess here." His voice lowered, and there's a flair of danger to it.

Jack looked towards the bartender, and he saw the almost shameful expression on his youthful face before it vanished, and the stranger got his drink.

"Now," The stranger clasped a hand on Jack's shoulder, sending chills through him from the cold touch. "How about we take these somewhere private?"

Jack nodded, curious where this is leading.

And well he's not too concerned considering his little party trick, oh yeah, he's had a few missteps since then, and each misstep ended with him springing awake again with no injuries. He smiled at the bartender, tried to reassure him that he'd be fine.

"See you tomorrow, okay?" Jack reassured the bartender with a nod. "I'll have the same as I did tonight."

The stranger stood in the way, distracting Jack from the bartender. "What's your name?" The stranger smoothly asked as he starts to glide through the mass of people. "Never picked it up."

"Why do you want to know?"

The stranger glanced behind him, a coy smile on his face. "When you spot a handsome man in a pub-" His blue eyes flicked across the other patrons in distaste, like they smell awful to him. "-you just want to get to know him."

"Handsome?" Jack replied, clicking on to where this is going in an instant. "Are you-" Ah, then that explains the reluctance from the bartender. "You're a bit open-" Jack narrowed his eyes at the strangers back. "-and I'm not nearly foolish enough to-" He quickened his step and got close to the other man, voiced lowered so as not to make the other patrons aware. "-get off with another man in such a public place, I know what they do to people here, and I don't want to be arrested for it."

The stranger turned around; his eyes looked Jack up and down. "Drink your drink then and come with me," His head tilted to the side. "I was going to take my time with you, enjoy the night, but you smell divine, and I'm not sure I can resist."

"Divine?" Jack repeats just as he noticed that the stranger simply shoved his beverage on the nearest table, so he did the same because whatever this bloke has planned has to be better than trying to get drunk and failing. "Lead on," Jack requested, eager and way too interested in the man in front of him now.

"Gladly," The stranger replied, a smile lighting up his face. "Graham O'Brien-" He introduced himself, hand held out steadily. "You should know my name before it happens; it's only fair."

Jack accepted the handshake, bemused by the cold hand, but eyes caught up in Graham's eyes. "Captain Jack Harkness," He revealed his name. "You're cold."

"That's blighty for you," Graham laughed, the sound mesmerising. "Do you have a place nearby?"

"Not yours?"

Graham shrugged. "I'm more of a wanderer, currently trying to take a break away from my friends, I just can't stomach their insatiable hunger at the moment, prefer to take what I need, when I need it," He stated, leaving a mystery behind the sentence. "You'll enjoy the night; I know I will."

That catches Jack's attention once more, and he quickly pulled the man towards his meagre apartment, practically kicking the door open when they arrived. The moment Jack shut the door, the stranger dragged him through the flat and towards the bedroom. It was hurried, and faster than Jack expected, but who is he to complain?

He's about to get what he's needed for a long-

That thought vanished in an instant when the stranger slammed him against the wall, leaving Jack winded.

"What are you-" Jack began to speak, cutting himself off when the blue eyes of the man in front of him snapped black. "Okay, so that's never happened before-"

"I'm sorry, truly, I am," Graham explained, voiced definitely tinged with sadness. "Cos you're a handsome bloke, but I'm me, and you're you, and you do smell very, very nice-"

"Well, thanks I guess, I mean-" Jack choked, stopping his sentence again when the man whipped forward and bit into his neck. "Okay-" He grunted out. "-not good."

Now that's a strange feeling, something he's definitely never felt before. He tried to shove the man away and only found him latch on stronger than before. Black spots flickered in Jack's eyes, his head felt light, and he swayed on his feet, dropping the moment the man released him to the floor.

The man above him wiped a hand across his mouth before kneeling down and picking up Jack's sagging body, taking him across the wooden floorboards. He placed him gently on his bed, rearranged the pillow beneath him.

"I mean it, Captain Jack Harkness," Graham said, saddened. "I am sorry for what I did, but I needed it."

Jack could only blink up at the rapidly blurring figure above him, and soon enough, he felt the kiss of death again.

It's an odd sensation dying. Most people only get to do it once, but not Jack, what is it this time? The fourth? Fifth? He's not too sure, and he's not too sure whether he actually ever dies because it's just a matter of waiting for that handy little gasp of-

Jack's eyes flew open, startling the man staring down at him. "Next time you wanna bite someone ask them first, why don't you?" He snapped, his hand shooting to his neck and feeling for the wound he knows that will no longer be there. "Seriously."

The man jumped into action and grabbed Jack, pulling him from the bed and opening his mouth, searching for something.

Jack has half a mind to bite him back, but before he gets a chance, the stranger dropped him back onto his bed.

"No teeth," Graham shook his head. "Didn't give you my blood-" He turned away, pacing, baffled. "-how are you not dead?" He barked, turning back around again to stare at Jack. "You should be dead; I drained you completely, and yet you have no mark on your neck."

"Yeah," Jack picked himself from, stretching out with a click in his back. "Been asking myself the same question since the war, mate, you've got here far too late to ask that-" He rubbed at his neck once more before removing his hand to stare back at the stranger. "-you're not-"

"I'm not what?"

Jack stands straight, smirking because he has the height advantage. Not that that meant anything considering the smaller man picked him up without effort.

"You're not human," Jack concluded. "Black eyes, strength, the fact you bit my neck and drunk my blood-" He shook his head again. "-but that's impossible," He decided. "Unless you really are Dracula-"

"Oh, you can fuck off with that."

"What?" Jack blurted out, stunned by the sudden language.

"That's a poor imitation of the real thing and is actually quite offensive, I mean really, garlic as a weakness?" Graham scoffed. "Try holy water or churches, seriously what idiot sat there and thought garlic would be enough to make me not want to kill them for their blood-" Jack blinked at the irate man in front of him, surprised. "-I'm not Dracula 'cos he doesn't bloody exist, I'm just a vampire."

"Okay," Jack said, because what else can he say.

"Just, okay?"

Jack stared at the man in front of him; his eyes flicked down to the spots of blood on his shirt. "I mean, you bit me, drunk my blood, killed me-"

"I said sorry multiple times for that."

Jack slow blinked at the vampire. "-and you expect me to say more than okay?"

"Well, I mean," Graham rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. "You could tell me why you're not dead, 'cos let me tell you something, this-" He gestured between them. "-never bloody happens; usually I take my meal, leave the body behind, and get on with it."

"Look, mate," Jack settled himself back on his bed. "If I knew the answer to that question I'd tell you, but I don't."

"Oh."

"Yeah," Jack frowned and brought a hand to the bridge of his nose. "Maybe we could start over?"

Graham shifted on his feet before nodding and extending a hand toward Jack. "Graham O'Brien, vampire," He tried again.

"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack replied. "And I think I'm immortal."

"Graham killed you?" Grace questions, surprised to hear Jack so openly talk about something Graham keeps hidden.

Jack glances at Grace, wincing. "You know as well as I do that Graham wasn't always as squeaky clean as he is now, Grace, even as much as he attempts to hide his past," He sighs. "Which is what worries me now because for the past seven decades he's had me around to feed him."

"And now he doesn't."

"Yeah."

"We have to get him back before that then," Grace steps away from the window. "We'll go to the police the first chance we get-"

"We can't report him as a missing person, Grace, he's a vampire, not a human."

Grace raises an eyebrow at Jack. "And why not?" She questions. "Ramesh will have to search for Graham because we all know that there are humans that work there."

"It's a risky play-"

"Graham is missing, Jack," Grace reminds him. "And we'll do whatever it takes to find him again."

"It'll bring attention on us," Jack counters as he rubs a hand across the nape of his neck. "But you're right; it puts Ramesh into a tricky position."


	7. Chapter 7

"When did they say they would get here?" The Doctor questions Ryan the moment he steps back into the living room.

"Soon 'cos I told them it was urgent," Ryan answer as he slumps down into one of the free seats. "Doctor, just between all of us here you know humans can't see my nan, right? So you can't talk to her and stuff."

The Doctor glances towards Grace, watching her by the window. "I understand, Ryan."

"Good," Ryan rubs a hand down his face. "You reckon they'd send a vampire around or not, Jack?"

Jack places his right hand on his chin. "Doubt it," He decides. "Graham and myself know that the police have quite a few vampires working for them, but not all of them are."

"Plus, I 'spose, it's not something a vampire would want to get sent to 'cos they know we know what they are and there ain't no reason for us to be civil to one another."

"That's true," Jack inclines his head in agreement. "So, humans then, handy for us, pain in the ass for them-"

"If they have something to do with it, that is, Jack," Grace reminds from her position near the window. "At the moment we're assuming that they have might know something about it based on no evidence."

"Well," The Doctor speaks the moment she joins Grace by the window, she parts it and stares out at the marked police car pulling up. "We're just about to find out."

"They here?"

"Yeah, two of them," The Doctor answers, stepping back from the window.

Jack nods and starts making his way towards the front door, opening it before they have a chance to knock. His eyes flick across the officers present, locking onto one of them in particular.

"Yasmin Khan?"

"Jack?" Yasmin's colleague looks back at the younger officer with a bewildered expression. "Jack lives next door to me," She supplies quickly. "Wait-" She stares at Jack, realising. "We got a call about a missing man called Graham?"

"Yaz?" Her partner stays looking at her.

"I know him," Yasmin mentions, eyes flicking away. "Not personally, but he came round to Jack's a week ago, we spoke together-" Her eyes widen. "-oh my days."

Jack nods, arms folding across his chest. "We're good friends, but that's not what matters right now," He steps back, allowing the two officers entry into the house. He doesn't give them permission, just watches as each one steps in without issue. So, human then, Jack nods after them. Good, one less thing to worry about.

"Ryan, Doctor," Jack speaks. "These are-" He glances towards the officers.

"Right," The male steps forward. "PC Sam Devlin and PC Yaz Khan, you called about a missing person."

"Yeah," Ryan nods as he stands up. "Graham O'Brien, he married my nan-"

Sam brings his attention towards Ryan. "Is your nan here?"

"No," Ryan looks towards Grace, stood alone by the window watching them speak. "She passed away, so it's just me, Graham, and-" Ryan flicks his eyes towards the Doctor, hoping and indicating for a name.

"I'm Graham's niece, Joh- Joan," The Doctor lies instantly, hoping she covered her slip on the name. "I came a week ago."

Yaz gives the Doctor a sympathetic look. "Where did you last see Graham?"

"Yesterday morning," The Doctor answers, slipping into her role. "He came down for breakfast, asked me to stop making noise in the morning so he could sleep, then left to have a shower."

"And were you here when he went missing?"

"No," The Doctor shakes her head. "We left to go out, Ryan was taking me to get some stuff because I left it back on- at my house, it was a spur of a moment sort of thing."

"Yeah, we went shopping," Ryan adds on. "But that's the thing, we came back early 'cos Graham's card was declined, the one he gave me to use 'cos I don't have a job and stuff, he mentioned to my-" He catches himself quickly when Grace shakes her head at him. "-what I meant was he told me he was going to the bank to sort it out."

"And he wasn't back by the time you came back?"

"Nope," The Doctor puts her hands in her pockets. "We're all worried about him."

"I came around after work with some stuff for him, but they said he never came back from the bank when I entered the house," Jack adds, rocking back on his heels. "After what happened to Grace-" His eyes flick towards her and back again. "-we do tend to tell each other where we are, so this radio silence from him has put us all on edge."

Yaz nods to that. "We understand-" Her face twists slightly. "-why weren't we alerted when you first realised he was missing?"

"We sorta hoped he would come home, but the longer it went on, it was-" Jack shuffles on his feet. "-he hasn't done anything stupid if that's what you're thinking."

"No, we weren't," Yaz quickly reassures. "But we have to cover all angles."

"What bank does Mr O'Brien use?" Sam asks as he gets out his notebook. "We might be able to spot him on the cameras along the way, try and figure out which way he went-" He flicks to an empty page. "-did he mention an appointment with them at all?"

Ryan shares a glance with Jack and the Doctor, ignoring his nan while the two humans are stood inside the house even though it hurts to do so. "It's Halifax, the big one in the centre of town, and no, he never mentioned an appointment or anything."

"Okay," Sam nods, stepping away for a moment to speak into his radio.

Jack watches him before turning towards Yaz. "You all right?"

Yaz blinks at Jack. "I should be asking all of you that," She points out, feeling awkward all of a sudden. "We'll do everything we can to find him."

"I know you will," Jack says. "We'll help in any way, of course."

Sam enters the living room again, nodding towards Yaz. "I take it you have a photo of Mr O'Brien that we can use?"

Ryan makes his way over towards the mantlepiece. He picks up one of Graham and Grace, both happy and smiling. His thumb trails over Graham's face, and he feels conflicted. Everything tells him he should now despise the man who married his nan, but he's not sure he can, or ever did. Yeah, they're enemies, but are they?

"You all right there, Ryan?" Jack gently places his arm around the younger man's shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm good," Ryan replies, stiffly. He turns and hands the photo over to Yaz. "Graham will want that back when he's found; it's one of his favourites, and we don't have many of my nan and him."

"We'll make sure he does, Ryan," Yaz reassures. "I don't know if you remember me-"

"Primary school," Ryan interjects. "We went together, didn't we?"

"Yeah," Yaz nods, feeling awkward once more. "I'll make sure you get this back, all right?"

Ryan nods at that, stepping towards the window and slyly rubbing his nan's back, giving her comfort through touch over speech.

"Do you need us to do anything in the meantime?" The Doctor asks, back straight, eyes locked on Yaz. "I'm very good at finding things."

Sam takes the picture from Yaz, his keen eyes making a note of Graham's face. "We'll keep you informed, might need you to come down to the station in the future, but for the meantime, we'll send some more officers over to take all of your statements here."

"Okay," Jack nods. "We need him back safe and sound."

"We'll do our best," Sam nods at them before turning towards Yaz. "Come on; we've got to hand it over to the station."

\----

Graham's eyes remain closed, his breathing calm as he sits in the corner of the cell, one hand tapping against the floor, counting. It's been a night by his calculation, should be early morning by now.

Which means he's been missing for hours.

Grace is at the forefront of his mind, she'll be worried sick about him, and all he wishes to do is tell her he's alive, not safe, but alive. There are Jack and Ryan to consider as well, and the Doc, he muses. As much as she's loud in the mornings, he has come to like her strangeness over the past week.

Then the other uncomfortable thought happens the moment he feels the burn in his throat, a burn he can't escape no matter how much he tries to swallow it away.

It's persistent.  
It's there.  
It's never bloody ending.

This is what happens when he's restricted by what Jack can give him, enough for two mugs a day, when before he could have the whole lot and it would last him a long time, a month if he pushed it, or less if he was injured. Course, he's not complaining, it's this or killing, and well, this is better for his consciousness.

But will he have the choice now? He can force himself to resist for as long as he can, but that won't be forever, he'll snap eventually, and he'll have someone else's blood and life on his hands again.

And none of that mentions the tests they want to perform. It could be anything, and that will use up any remaining resources he has left. If they hurt him, if he has to heal, then he'll need blood quicker.

Which means more people will die.

Graham's eyes open again and he looks up at the camera in the corner. He wishes that the legend that they can't be seen on film were real, but unfortunately that's another myth down the drain. It sinks along with the garlic.

Now mirrors, silver-backed ones, that's another story altogether and something he's never managed to work out, spose it's like the relics and religious items and anything else he can't do.

Entering a church? Last time was when he was a human at his father's services before his second life happened, that was.

Either way, at least there isn't a mirror in this cell, that's a small comfort, but what does he have? Nothing apart from the drain in the centre and the sprinklers above him.

Graham's hand ceases the tapping upon the floor, and he gets up to make his way towards the camera, eyes narrowed as he looks up at it. It's out of reach from him, but-

"Not very clever, are you?" He says, looking directly up at it. "Got the entire room covered apart from this handy little corner here-" He smirks as he sits under it.

He's not the brightest when it comes to books even though he's lived a long time, but he has street smarts, and he knows how to evade cameras when he needs to.

He also eyes the door from this angle, he could try to escape, but those relics they have makes that idea risky.

Have patience.

Wait.

Rushing into anything right now could blow whatever chance he has in the future.

So, he'll wait and hope that his family will come for him.

If they're still all right, that is.

If they aren't, then well, he holds no promises about what will happen.

\----

"Can you aim the camera down?"

"Only so far," The tech answers. "The type one has found the blind spot; it's smarter than the other ones we had."

"It's older than the others, it has seen the advancements of technology throughout the years, the things we could learn from it," Dr Zellin's hands clench around the chair he's leaning against. "Either way, it's too late to fit the room with another camera now."

"We could enter with the relics and holy water?" The tech suggests. "It would keep the type one in the corner."

"No," Dr Zellin shakes his head. "Let the type one have its victory today; it won't be having it for long when we give it a friend."

The tech nods and gets back to work while Dr Zellin leaves the observation room. He walks through the corridors, feet taking him towards the loading bay.

He spots the men coming in from the truck, a ragged clothed body between them. One of the men spot him and gives him a nod. "No one will miss this one."

"Homeless?"

The man snorts and lifts the unconscious man's head. "The people who lived on the street he wandered through complained to the police about him, course they didn't do anything-"

"Which means because the street was already annoyed by his presence, no one will report him missing, at least not for a while."

Dr Zellin nods at that. "Bring him through; I want him in the cell with the type one."

The two men proceed forward, uncaring about the man's feet dragging across the floor. Dr Zellin follows them through the complex, typing in the code to the cell the moment they get there. They each pull out the relics as they enter.

It looks at them, eyes blue and narrowed.

"You're not as stupid as the ones before you," Dr Zellin muses as he looks down at the type one. "It took them a long time to figure out the blind spot in the cell."

"Well, what can I say?" It snarks at them. "You're not as smart as you think you are."

"Maybe so," Dr Zellin grins at it. "But we got you, haven't we?"

"Because my kind sold me out," It points out. "Although, when I get out of here, they won't like what I'll have planned for them."

"It thinks it's getting out of here," One of the guards says with a laugh.

It narrows its eyes at him. "I'm not an it," It states. "Least you could do is give me some form of respect, 'cos as it stands, I have more dignity than you do."

"Now, now," Dr Zellin places his hands on the guard's soldier. "Let us humour the type one," He looks at the type one. "Do you prefer Graham or Mr O'Brien?"

"I'd prefer to be let out of this cell, but that's not gonna happen, so just call me Graham," He answers for them before flicking his eyes down to the man held between the guards. "Who is that?"

Dr Zellin smiles down at the type one, devilish in nature, enjoying the sudden look of fear on his face. "As I said, Graham," He gestures to the sleeping man. "You will be fed here," He smiles at his men. "Now, let's leave them together so he can get to know his meal."

"You're monsters," Graham scoffs as he stands up, unable to step forward because of the relics. "You're leaving a man in here for me to kill," He laughs, dark, mirthless. "And they say I'm the monster."


End file.
